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I wasn’t really sure why I ordered the marriage certificate for Emanuel MARX and Mary TROWER. In truth I didn’t really need to order it, but I am glad that I did.

I was certain that this was the marriage of my 3x great-aunt, but the information that Mary’s father was Henry TROWER and he was a farmer confirmed this.

For the record, Mary TROWER married Emanuel MARX on the 14th August 1884 at the Register Office in Pancras Registration District.

I was interested to find out more about the groom, according to the certificate his occupation was interpreter and was living at 183 Albany Street in London. His father was Bernard MARX and he was a clothier.

By the 1891 census Emanuel was described as a commercial traveller and he and Mary were living at 2 Priory Road, Hampstead, London.

Most interesting however were the details for Mary. No occupation was given, which is not that unusual, and her residence was given as H.M. Prison Kingston.

So Mary was living in a prison, which begs the question was she an inmate or did she work there? In the 1881 census Mary had been working in an asylum so it is possible she may have switched from one institution to another as a member of staff rather than as an inmate.

Another interesting research challenge to follow up. I seem to be gathering a few criminal connections, I am really going to have to spend some time studying criminal and prison records.